Combination mirror and clock



Oct. 11, 1938. EN HQLM COMBINATION MIRROR AND CLOCK Filed Oct. 19, 1937INVENTOR NormanEnHolm. BY WWW 7 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Norman En Holm, New York, N. Y., assignor to MultiVue Sign 00., Inc., a corporation of New York Application October 19,1937, Serial No. 169,762

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination mirror and clock which may beused for advertising or other purposes. I

An object of the invention is to produce a device of the characterdescribed having a front mirror which may be used as a mirror per se bypersons standing in front thereof, said mirror having combined therewitha clock the face of which when illuminated appears to view in place ofthe aforesaid mirror.

Another object is to produce a device of the character described whereinthefront mirror is translucent and one or both mirrors are movablewhereby certain moving effects of indicia located within the device orindicia projected thereon, are obtained.

A further object is to produce a device of the character describedwherein the hands of a clock are located in front of the mirrors thereinwhile the clock face numerals are located (either with or withoutaccompanying indicia such as advertising data or the like) on one of themirrors or the indicia is projected thereon.

Other objects of the invention will be appascribed herein a device thatmay be used for ad- 7 vertising purposes comprising a casing having itsfront closed by a translucent mirror having a second mirror which neednot be translucent in the rear thereof. Before the first or outer mirrorare positioned the hands of the clock, the numerals for the clock facebeing placed on the second or rear mirror, or these numerals may beprojected on to the device or reflected thereby in a manner hereinafterdescribed.

With the device illuminated by ordinary light from the front, such forexample as when the device is located in a store window and illuminatedby ordinary daylight, the front of the device would present a smooth,unbroken mirrorlike surface except for the clock hands. Then byilluminating the rear mirror the outer m rror being translucentapparently disappears from view 55 and the numerals of the clock dialappear and rent from a perusal of the following specification becausethe two mirrors are spaced apart, repetitive reflections occur so thatapparently these numerals go marching off into infinity in a manner wellknown in connection with reflecting signs of this character.

If one or both of the mirrors are moved, then the repetitive reflectiveimages also move and a large number and variety of combinations of oneor both moving mirrors can be effected to .produce various attractiveeffects. Some of these constructions are given in the copending appli-Cations, Serial Nos. 152,698, 152,699 and 152,700, all filed July 9,1937.

It will also be understood that sign indicia may be placed on any one ofthe surfaces of either mirror. When placed on the mirror surface, theindicia is usually placed on the rear surface of the rear mirror, theopaque silver coating thereon being removed and the indicia placed onthe clear glass using translucent colors. If the silvering is removedfrom the rear of the rear mirror and the indicia is painted intranslucent colors on the front of the rear mirror and the sign isilluminated from the back, the letters apparently swing out surroundedby a halo or radiation of light due to the passage of light through theglass of the rear mirror, which light finds its way around the indicia.It will be understood it is immaterial in so far as the carrying out ofthis invention is concerned, as to where the indicia is placed and inthis connection reference is had to the aforesaid application, SerialNo. 152,698, in which the device proper does not contain any indicia atall or may contain part of the indicia and the image of indicia, suchfor example as a bottle, a package of cigarettes or other merchandise,is caused to fall on the sign to cause a primary image thereon byputting the merchandise in front of the device and strongly illumimatingthe merchandise, a reflected image of which is produced in the device,the mirrors therein cooperating to produce a plurality of images, whichimages may be caused to move by moving the mirrors in the device.

Another method of applying the indicia to the device is to direct a beamof light on to the device from a stereopticon or the like in which is aslide bearing the indicia. When the light beam strikes the device, themirrors pick up the indicia projected thereon and operate as heretoforedescribed. I

It will be seen from the foregoing that it is immaterial where theindicia is placed on the mirrors or projected or reflected thereon. Forportable devices it is preferable to put the indicia on the back mirrdrand illuminate the same from means such as electric lamps contained inthe casing of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in which is illustrated a device of thecharacter described com prising a combination sign and clock:

Figure l. is a plan view, partly in section, of a device in which bothof the mirrors are movable;

Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of a device in which both ofthe mirrors are fixed;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the sign shown in Figure 1, as seenwith rear illumination; and

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showingthe attachment of the clock hands to their driving shafts.

Referring to Figure 1 which is typical of any type of construction inwhich one or both of the mirrors are movable, the numeral 10 denotes afront casing in which is supported a plain glass front H which front,however, may in some instances be dispensed with. The casing I isprovided with a door 12 on its side or in its top to permit removal ofthe mirrors which may be supported in a suitable framework, as morefully described in copending application Serial No. 169,761, filedOctober 19, 1937.

The outer mirror I3 and rear mirror It! are mounted to oscillate orswing about the vertical axis IS, the front mirror l3 being translucentand the rear. mirror l4 being opaque except when it carries indicia, inwhich case the silvering is removed from the glass and the indiciaplaced thereon using translucent colors.

The mirrors l3 and M are apertured at their center, as more clearlyshown in'Figure 4 to permit the mechanism for driving the clock hands topass therethrough. This mechanism may be of any suitable form, maycomprise the usual hour and minute hand shafts generally denoted inFigures 1 and 2 by the numeral i6, which shafts are connected throughany suitable gearing to shafts I! which are driven by a clock mechanismI8.

The clock mechanism 18 is disposed to one side of the mirrors so as tobe out of the way in the event that the mirrors are illuminated from therear, as hereinafter referred to, and the shafts I1 and the associatedparts I S are also made as small as possible so as not to cause anyshadows in the event of rear illumination.

If desired, the mechanism 18 may comprise any suitable form of spring orelectric motor. If the latter is used, it may be any of the known typesof such motors which commonly have an armature shaft which, throughappropriate gearing drives the shafts H to operate the hands of theclock. Such motors may be, and commonly are, equipped with auxiliarygearing, which may be connected to the crank arm l9 one end of which isconnected to the motor gearing and the other end of which connects tothe mirrors I3 and I4 so that, when the motor mechanism I8 is inoperation, the crank l9 connected thereto will move the mirrors as shownin dotted lines, Figure 1. From this it will be apparent that one motordevice IB may be used to operate the clock and also move the mirrors.

The motor I8 is connected to a source of current supplied via the wires20 which also connect to means for illuminating the mirrors comprisingthe lamps 2! and 22. The rear casing 23 encloses and surrounds all ofthe parts being connected in any suitable manner to the front casing I0.

26, Figure 4, so that these hands may be secured to and removed from theshafts Hi from the front of the device. This is accomplished by slidingthe glass front I I out of the casing I0, then removing the hands. Thispermits the withdrawal of the mirrors l3 and 14 through the door 12 inthe casing H) or through a similar door (not shown) in the top of thecasing. Without this provision for detaching the hands it would benecessary to open the rear of the device and disassemble the drivingshafts l6 from the clock mechanism. I

The'numerals for the clock face may be placed on the rear mirror 14 aspreviously described, and the device being as shown in Figures 1 and 3,if looked at from the front without lamps 2| and 22 being lit, will havethe effect of an ordinary plain mirror except that the clock hands 25and 25 will be visible but an observer standing in front of the devicewould see himself reflected in the front mirror I 3, and the clocknumerals shown in dotted lines, in Figure 3, would not be visible.

The lamps 2| and 22 being illuminated, the onlooker would now see thenumerals on the clock face, but would not see his own image, as thefront of the device, that is to say the front mirror, would apparentlybecome transparent, and if motor I 8 was in operation the clock facenumerals and any other indicia forming the sign on the rear mirror Itwould apparently move in long lines out into infinity.

The operation of the sign, Figure 2, is substantially the same as thatjust described, except that here the mirrorsl3 and 14 are stationarywithin the casing. The effect is obtained of repetitive multiplereflections which will apparently move as the observer moves in front ofthe sign, that is to say the long lines of repetitive images moving 01finto infinity will apparently shift their position as the observer movesin front of the sign. However, if the observer remains perfectly stillthese images will not move in the sense that the images referred to inconnection with the sign, Figure 1,.move.

Assuming by way of illustration that an observer stands in front of thesign, Figure 1, holding a lighted match in his hand, this sign will showthe flame image reflected several times and, as the mirrors move, thisimage will swing backwards and forwards and this will happen Withoutlamps 2!, 22 being lit, and without any indicia whatever appearing onthe sign.

If the observer repeats the foregoing in connection with sign No. 2, theflame image will be re-refi'ected several times but will not move exceptto the extent that the match is moved by the observer.

In connection with either sign Figure 1 or Figure 2, fioodlighting thesign from the front shows the indicia, if any, on the back mirror,re-refiected several times, and in the same manner as if the lamps 2|,22 were lighted.

If some object such as a bottle is placed in front of the signs, Figures1 and 2, and floodlighted, the bottle image is re-reflected several.times, or if a picture is projected on to the front of either sign,Figure 1 or 2, re-reflected images will be produced.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a cas- Y ing, a pair ofrelatively fixed mirrors movably mounted therein, the outer of saidmirrors being translucent and the rear mirror being opaque andhavingtranslucent indicia thereon, said outer mirror being positioned in thefront of said casing and both said mirrors being apertured,

clock mechanism mounted in said casing and including means for drivingthe hands of the clock extending through said apertures in said mirrors,clock hands secured to said means and positioned in front of said outermirror, means for illuminating said mirrors to form multiple images ofindicia reflected thereby, and means for moving said mirrors.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for illuminatingthe mirrors is located behind said rear mirror, which has translucentindicia thereon through which light may pass to cause said indicia to bereflected by said outer mirror.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, a pair ofrelatively fixed mirrors mounted in said casing and spaced apart fromeach other, the outer of said mirrors being translucent and the rearmirror being opaque and having translucent indicia thereon, said outermirror being positioned in the front of said casing and both saidmirrors being apertured, clock mechanism mounted in said casing andincluding means for driving the hands of the clock extending throughsaid apertures in said mirrors, clock hands secured to said means andpositioned in front of said outer mirror, means for illuminating saidmirrors, to form multiple images of indicia reflected thereby, and meansfor moving said mirrors.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means for illuminatingthe mirrors is located behind said rear mirror, which has translucentindica thereon through which light may pass to cause said indicia to bereflected by said outer mirror.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a translucent outermirror fixed therein having clock face indicia thereon normally visiblefrom the front thereof, a rear mirror fixedly positioned in said casingbehind said translucent mirror, both said mirrors being apertured, clockmechanism mounted in said casing and including means for driving thehands of the clock extending through said apertures in said mirrors,clock hands secured to said means and positioned in front of said outermirror, and means for 11- luminating said mirrors to form multipleimages of indicia reflected thereby.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein 0 said mirrors arerelatively fixed together and movably mounted as a unit in said casing.

7. In a device of the character described, a casing having therein afront translucent mirror and a rear mirror, said mirrors beingapertured, clock mechanism supported in said casing behind said mirrorsand including shafts for driving the clock hands, clock hands supportedon said shafts having extension members projecting through saidapertures in said mirrors and adapted for engagement with said shafts,and means for illuminating said mirrors.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said extension members are infrictional engagement with said shafts whereby said hands may be removedfrom the front of the device to permit withdrawal of said mirrorstherefrom.

9. In a device of the character described, a casing having a translucentmirror in the front thereof and a rear mirror behind said translucentmirror and adapted to produce therewith multiple reflections, said rearmirror carrying numerals or the like forming a clock dial or face, saidmirrors being apertured, clock hand driving mechanism passing throughsaid apertures said mechanism being located within said casing, andclock hands overlying the face of said translucent mirror and connectedto said mechanism.

10. In a sign of the character described, a pair of apertured mirrorsone of which is translucent, said mirrors adapted to producemultiplereflections, and a clock movement positioned behind said mirrorsand having a shaft extending outwardly through said apertures therein,hands on said shaft, and clock-face indicia on one of said mirrors.

11. In a device of the class described, a casing,

a translucent outer mirror fixed therein normally visible from the frontthereof, a rear mirror having indicia and being translucent wherebylight may pass therethrough to cause said indicia to be reflected bysaid outer mirror, said rear mirror being fixedly positioned in saidcasing behind said translucent mirror, both said mirrors beingapertured, clock mechanism mounted in said casing and including meansfor driving the hands of the clock extending through said apertures insaid mirrors, clock-hands secured to said means and positioned in frontof said outer mirror, and

, means for illuminating said mirrors to form multiple images of indiciareflected thereby.

NORMAN EN HOL'M.

